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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26858917">Fiery Masquerade</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleysiasnape/pseuds/aleysiasnape'>aleysiasnape</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, James Potter Lives, Jamione - Freeform, Kingsley/Umbridge mentions, Masquerade, Masquerade Ball, Time Travel, marriage law</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:41:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26858917</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleysiasnape/pseuds/aleysiasnape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione was surprised when James Potter arrived in 2001, and shocked when the ministry decided she should marry him. But that was nothing to how she felt when she heard Kingsley had been forced to marry Umbridge...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/James Potter, Kingsley Shacklebolt/Dolores Umbridge, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Roll-a-Prompt Writing Comp 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fiery Masquerade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Many thanks to my beta!</p><p>Disclaimer: I don't own anything!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione smiled as she checked out her outfit in the mirror, turning side to side to admire the way the deep red and green silks clung to her waist and hips.</p><p>It was beautiful, a subtle mix of Gryffindor and Slytherin, not over the top, and accentuated by the golden mask she had to match it.</p><p>They were definitely going to celebrate the new Marriage Law in style.</p><p>She grinned as she saw the light sparkling off the ruby which now decorated her left hand. She was married to James Potter! And somehow Harry was ok with it. Ron, she knew, was quite upset about the whole thing.</p><p>It had been a shock for everyone when Harry’s Dad had suddenly appeared out of thin air. All he remembered was walking through a door in his home in 1981, and finding himself in the Department of Mysteries twenty years later.</p><p>He seemed to have come through the mysterious archway in the Department, which had erupted behind him into ‘fiery swirls of blackness’, according to Harry’s excited account of the event.</p><p>This year’s Ministry Ball had been dubbed the Fiery Masquerade, and it was to be held at Malfoy Manor - hence the colour scheme she had chosen for her dress.</p><p>James strode into the bedroom, wearing an outfit in matching red and green. He had gone for a flamboyant, pirate-style look that rather suited his ‘marauder’ aesthetic. He dearly missed his friends, but he hoped that this dance would bring him and his new bride closer together.</p><p>“Are you ready to go, love?” he asked, his voice steady as he held his hand out to her. </p><p>Hermione smiled as she accepted James’ hand, and together they stepped into the roaring green of the fireplace, and whirled away towards Malfoy Manor.</p><p>“Lucius has certainly gone all out,” Hermione smiled, turning to admire the room. She spotted Harry and Ginny waltzing, and tugged on James’s hand. They danced their way through the crowd to catch up to Harry and Ginny.</p><p>“Hi Dad! Hermione!” Harry exclaimed. He was happy for his best friend, and his father, though he had been surprised at the match at first.</p><p>He was worried about what the marriage law could do to other wizarding folk, though, and was trying to get it overturned. Harry had hoped Kingsley would be here at the masquerade to discuss the outcome.</p><p>“Are you looking for someone, son?” James noticed the anxious look on Harry’s face.</p><p>“I had hoped Kingsley would attend. This whole thing was his idea after all.”</p><p>“Oh!” Ginny gasped. “Didn’t you hear, Harry? The Wizengamot married him off to Umbridge!” Ginny half whispered to the small group.</p><p>Hermione’s eyes widened in horror. “Umbitch?” she asked, outraged. “Who did that to him?”</p><p>Draco waltzed past, Astoria in his arms. “I heard Dolores herself made the decision,” he told them, overhearing the conversation. “She wanted to make him suffer, for coming up with a law that will end ‘purebloods’ forever in a couple of generations,” he added, in a confidential tone.</p><p>“The nerve of that - that…” Hermione’s voice trailed off, her hands shaking with anger, as Lucius and Narcissa joined the group.</p><p>“We do hope you are enjoying the evening,” Narcissa said graciously, ever the elegant hostess.</p><p>“It is a pity that Kingsley was unable to join us, but please don’t let it spoil the ball for you. Perhaps afterwards you would join us in the Library for a nightcap, and we can talk it all over then?” Lucius hinted smoothly to them.</p><p>Umbridge had not endeared herself on either side of the war, and when the Malfoy’s had defected to the Order of the Phoenix, their dislike of the fuchsia toad had only grown.</p><p>The music changed to an upbeat piece, and the couples picked up the tempo, dancing away from each other. James wrapped his arm tightly around Hermione’s waist, trying to calm her frayed nerves.</p><p>“I know that wasn’t news you wanted to hear, love,” he murmured to her. “This marriage law has interrupted everyone’s lives, despite the good intentions behind it.” </p><p>Hermione sighed heavily. “It’s just so -” she began to rant, but stopped abruptly when she saw James’ face.</p><p>Smiling cheekily, she decided on a different tactic, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on tiptoes to kiss him sweetly.</p><p>James grinned as he broke off the kiss, and Hermione felt a shiver go through her as his deep voice murmured in her ear, “Thank goodness I was paired with such a brilliant witch.”</p><p>“Why, thank you!” she smirked, kissing him again. She had fallen hard for James Potter, despite the short time she had known him and the forced circumstances of their marriage.</p><p>She still wasn’t sure if he felt the same about her, though.</p><p>“I love you,” she whispered softly into his neck.</p><p>“I love you too, Hermione,” he whispered back, kissing the top of her head. “I can’t think of anyone, in this time, I’d rather be paired with.”</p><p>“Well, if you hadn’t shown up I imagine I would’ve been married off to some unknown Death Eater.” She shivered at the thought.</p><p>James wrapped his arms around her protectively. He missed Lily enormously, but he knew there was no going back, and he was lucky to be alive, let alone somehow married to another brilliant witch.</p><p>The Fiery Masquerade lasted long into the night, and it was well past midnight when the last of the guests had stumbled into the floo, and Lucius ushered a few members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Hermione, James, Harry, Ginny, Draco and Astoria into the Library.</p><p>Narcissa poured everyone drinks, and they all sat down to discuss how to overturn the marriage law.</p><p>Afterwards, they all stayed the night at Malfoy Manor.</p><p>James almost had to carry Hermione to the elegant bedchamber, she was so tired.</p><p>They were surprised to find night clothes laid out for them. “Well, that was very nice of them,” James commented, eyeing the silky pajamas.</p><p>“Oooh, this bed! We’ll have to get one like this for our place,” Hermione groaned, stretching out on the soft sheets underneath the heavy quilt.</p><p>James agreed with Hermione once he felt of the exquisite sheets. “Good night, my love.”</p><p>“Good night, dearest.”</p>
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